10/05/2009 @ 5:00PM

In Pictures: World's Most Well-Liked Countries

The list of the world’s most admired countries is derived from the 2009 Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index, released Monday. The authors surveyed 20,000 people from 20 countries–each chosen for geographic and economic diversity–over the summer of 2009. The survey asked respondents to rank 50 countries in six categories: governance, culture, products and services, people, tourism and immigration/investment.

1. United States

(2008 ranking: 7)

“Clearly it’s the Obama effect,” Anholt says of the United States’ meteoric six-spot rise. Despite the end of his honeymoon with the American people, the president’s popularly abroad seems impenetrable thus far. However, Anholt also says that he believes first place is likely the U.S.’ natural position in the rankings, with or without Obama. It was former president George W. Bush’s incredibly unpopular foreign policy that pulled the country down in terms of image.